Following the announcement Friday, June 2nd, 2023, by Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State of the designation of the former Prime Minister and Minister of Planning and External Cooperation, Laurent Salvador Lamothe, for his Involvement in Significant Corruptions, prohibiting him from entering the United States, Laurent Lamothe made public the next day a declaration of his first reaction, which we reproduce in full for the benefit of our readers.

Statement by former Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe :

"Laurent S. Lamothe, former prime minister of Haïti vehemently rejects the U.S. Department of State's recent designation of himself for "involvement in significant corruption." Regrettably, Secretary of State Anthony J. Blinken's decision is not based on factual proof but repurposed hearsay dating back to Mr. Lamothe's time as prime minister from 2012 to 2014. ln fact, the Department of State, in its November 2022 report to the U.S. Congress (pursuant to Section 107 of the Haïti Development, Accountability, and lnstitutional Transparency Initiative Act), outlined that there was no "specific disappearance of funds" identified in a PetroCaribe report.

The Secretary of State's newly imposed sanction on Mr. Lamothe achieves nothing but the bidding of some of his long-standing political opponents in Haïti, as acknowledged by the same report. Back during his time as prime minister, these same opponents maneuvered to undermine Mr. Lamothe's ability to govern by spurring civil unrest and violent anti-government protests. Their insatiable desire to assassinate Mr. Lamothe's character did not waiver following his resignation as prime minister. On the contrary, it intensified and culminated into a dubious and politically-charged PetroCaribe report that the U.S. Department of State negligently used to make Mr. Lamothe a target.

Over the past nine years, five independent audits from Haiti's Supreme Audit Court (CSCCA), the Anticorruption Unit (ULCC), and the Venezuelan government's PDV CARIBE thoroughly scrutinized Mr. Lamothe's financial management and conclusively found no wrongdoing attributed directly to him.

Mr. Lamothe has been an upstanding member of the Miami community ever since his college years, boosting the local economy through his business and job-creating ventures. South Florida is also home to his two daughters. Mr. Lamothe returned to Haïti in 2011 only to serve his homeland's government in the wake of the 2010 earthquake. By entailing Mr. Lamothe's "general ineligibility to enter the U.S.," the Department of State's designation is forcing the separation of a family and shutting a father out of the transformational lite experiences of his teenage daughters.

Mr. Lamothe is resolute to pursue all legal avenues afforded to him to challenge the Department of State designation, to clear his name, recommit to the truth, and above all, reunite with his family.

Laurent Lamothe"

See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-39684-haiti-flash-former-pm-laurent-lamothe-sanctioned-by-the-usa.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-22844-haiti-flash-report-petrocaribe-laurent-lamothe-goes-on-the-offensive.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-22687-haiti-flash-conclusion-of-the-petrocaribe-report-the-commission-accuses.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-14011-haiti-flash-laurent-lamothe-counter-attack.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-13785-haiti-economy-venezuela-satisfied-with-the-good-management-of-the-petrocaribe-fund.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-13289-haiti-politic-report-petrocaribe-the-moment-of-truth.html

HL/ HaitiLibre